Return To The Labyrinth
by LouisaJane007
Summary: 17 years after Sarah Williams conquered The Labyrinth she has lived a married life. But after her husband leaves her she loses all her bravery and confidence in her depression. Until one day, her 14 year old daughter discovers something from her mother's past which she has never been told about. Events unfold which reunites old friends, reforms new happiness and awakens a lost love
1. Chapter 1 - Lost And Lonely

**Disclaimer** **–** I do not own any of Labyrinth or the original characters. They are all the property of Jim Henson, George Lucas and Brian Froud.

* * *

 **Chapter One – Lost and Lonely**

The house was silent except for the ticking of the clock on the wall in the hall which read half past three. The weather outside was miserable. There was a dampness in the air, dark grey clouds filled the sky and there was the feeling of an approaching rainstorm.

The front door of the house opened and a young girl entered the house carrying a schoolbag over her shoulder. She was fourteen years old but she looked young for her age. She had a beautiful lean figure, long dark hair and emerald green eyes. Dropping her bag on the floor she pulled off her coat and hung it on the wall. She peered back out the door and stared down the road. Letting out a small sigh she closed the door and picked up her bag. Just as she was walking through the hall towards the stairs there was a rumble of thunder which made her shudder slightly. "Oh no" she said disappointedly.

She went up the stairs and into her bedroom. The style of her room was not at all new. In fact nearly all of it had remained the same since the room had been occupied by its previous owner who was the girl's mother. She loved the style of her mother's old room so much that she's decided to leave it as it was and never asked to have it re-decorated. Having her mother's old room was almost like owning an heirloom.  
The room had lovely wallpaper with patterns of flowers. Her bed in the middle of the room had high bedposts at the head. Over the top was red canopy curtains. A patchwork blanket was draped over the soft duvet. The wall was covered with posters including one which was _Relativity_ (M. C. Escher). A bookshelf which was built into the wall was filled with row upon row of books which were mostly fairytales and fantasy adventures. And below the big window was a window seat which had soft orange cushions.

She sat at her dressing table and started brushing her hair. She looked at her reflection in the mirror but didn't show any emotion at what she saw reflected. Instead she placed her brush back down and went to her bed where her school bag was. As she took out the school books that she needed for homework, there was another rumble of thunder. She glanced out her window and saw that it had started to rain heavily. She shook her head and left her room carrying her books under her arm. On the landing she saw that the laundry was piled high in the big basket so she decided to put some on. So she carried the basket down to the utility and put a load on to wash. Once that was all done she made herself a drink and took a seat on the dining room table and laid out her books. At the top of her text book was written her name, "Jennifer Williams"

Jennifer Williams was a kind, good-hearted girl. Which was something she took after her mother. But none of the other kids at her school would just by looking at her think that she was anything special or important. In actual truth Jennifer would have been perfect if you were looking for someone to be a friend who supported you and kept you company when you were lonely. But none of the girls or even the boys wanted anything to do with her.  
This was mainly because Jennifer's main hobby was reading. She loved opening a book and transporting herself away to wonderful places of fantasy, adventure, romance and mystery. She was part of a small club at school where they would pick out a novel from the school library and read it whenever they had free time. Once they'd finished reading it they had to write a descriptive review of what they thought about the book. And every Friday lunchtime, if someone had finished writing a review they had to share it. The club only had 5 kids, Jennifer included. This was one of the main reasons why none of the other kids in the school thought she was anything interesting.

Another reason was because Jennifer was also a hard worker in school. She was a very bright pupil and very intelligent due to how much she read. However, in other student's eyes their eyes, books and studying were nothing but a boring waste of time.  
This wasn't something that went unnoticed by Jennifer. Every now and again she would pass a group of students and they would whisper and call her names like "Swot Head", "Book Geek" and "Weirdo". This made her very upset and lonely. Although she never showed her sadness on the outside, inside she was always screaming. Often she longed to complain and insult them back. But she saw no reason why she should follow their bad example. She never told a teacher about any of this because it would feel like telling tales. But all the same Jennifer was a very lonely girl.

Her English homework for the weekend was fairly easy and she knew that she would probably be able to finish it before bedtime. She had to get up only once to take the wet clothes out of the machine and put in the dryer.  
About an hour and a half later while she was still doing her homework Jennifer heard the front door open. She looked up from her books and rubbed her eyes. "Mom?!" she called. Her mother walked into the dining room and gave her a loving kiss on the head. "How are you Jen?" She asked "I'm alright, thanks" the young girl replied. "And school?" she asked. Jen shrugged "Same old, same old." She patted her daughter's shoulder. "You got much left to do?" she asked gesturing to the books. Jennifer shook her head "No just a few lines left to write." Her mother patted her shoulder again "That's perfect, cause I'd like you to help me with dinner" Jennifer nodded. "Will do."

When she had finally finished she closed her books and put them aside and went to join her mother in the kitchen. She sat and peeled the vegetables while her mom prepared the meat. Once Jennifer had done all the vegetables, she went to get the laundry from the dryer which she had put in earlier. She collected the clothes then took them upstairs. First she went to her room to put hers away then went across the landing to take her Mother's.

Though Jennifer knew she was not in a good place at the moment due to school, her mother Sarah Williams was not in a good place either. Ever since Sarah's husband had ran out on them when Jennifer was eight. Sarah had fallen into a deep pit of despair which she had never seemed to be able to climb out of. And despite having her daughter close to her, Sarah Williams had become a women who was completely lost and lonely just like her daughter. With no close friends and not content in the place she worked.  
It was almost as if both these girls had lost meaning and purpose in the world in which they lived.

This had gone on for so long and was made even worse when Sarah lost her father just four years ago. He had gone out one evening saying that he was going to visit his granddaughter. But his wife Irene had tried to convince him to stay home with her and their son Toby for the night. But Robert had insisted that he wanted to see his granddaughter who he loved dearly. While driving to Sarah's he was hit by a speeder who had been driving dangerously. He and the other driver had died before the ambulance got to the scene.  
Ever since the incident Irene had blamed Jennifer for Robert's death. Even though her stepmother had not spoken to them since, Sarah could tell what Irene was always thinking. "If that little brat never existed, Robert wouldn't have been so desperate to go and drive to his death."

To make matters worse Irene forbad her son Toby to ever see his sister and niece again. But Toby who was now nineteen, did not like following his mother's cruel orders. So he would often jump on his motorbike and visit them whenever he could. It seemed he was the only other human being that truly loved them both. He had adored Jennifer ever since she was first born and he had only been five years old.  
Whenever Toby was over for a visit Jennifer often noticed that her mother would look at him in a very odd and protective way. It was almost as if he was more like a son rather than a younger brother to her. But Jennifer knew that her mother seemed to be wishing to say so much but she couldn't.

Jennifer entered her Mother's bedroom, walked round the bed and went to put Sarah's clothes away. When she'd closed the wardrobe she turned and looked round the room. Everywhere there were photos. One of her when she was a baby. Photos of Sarah's life when her parents, Robert and Linda were together. Another on Sarah's dresser of Linda and Jeremy Sarah's stepfather. And on the wall next to the wall mirror was one of Sarah and Toby with their arms round each other. There were none anywhere of Irene.

Even though Sarah was a very honest woman Jennifer had figured out that her mother had a secret. Something from her childhood that she had never told Jennifer. She knew this because some time ago when Sarah was out for the afternoon Toby had been over and he'd had told her something really peculiar.  
They had been sat together in the living room when Jennifer had asked him what Sarah had been like when she was younger and her uncle had replied "All through my childhood Sarah had been a wonderful sister to me. Looking after me at weekends, meeting me from school and even taking me out for fun stuff at weekends. But a lot of the time when she was with me, I saw that she never took her eyes off me or let go of my hand whenever she held it. It was as if she were scared about losing me."  
Jennifer had leaned closer to Toby and said "Really!? Wow! That is strange."

Toby continued on. "Dad said that there was a time when Sarah was a completely different person. Back then she hated babysitting me and would never confide in him when she was upset and mostly kept to herself. But I found that hard to believe because it sounded nothing like the Sarah you and I've always known. Dad said it all changed on a particular night while she was babysitting me and he and mother were going out for dinner. She'd arrived home an hour late and was in an annoyed mood and seemed all ready to tear the whole place down. But five hours later they came home and the Sarah they found was a completely different person to the one they left earlier. She had become more gentle, understanding and caring to both me and Dad. What's more, from that night onwards she was more than happy to take care of me whenever they needed her to. Somehow during those five hours something had changed her and so quickly. Odd, don't you think Jen?"

Jennifer had once tried to ask her mother about all this but all she had said in reply was "I just realized it was wrong to think so badly of my brother and my Father. So I gave up just thinking about myself." When Sarah had said this Jen had noticed that her mother hadn't met her eyes. I was almost as if something was troubling her. This proved that there was more to it than what her mother had said. Something that she was too afraid to tell her.

She couldn't help it anymore. She wished she could figure out what it was that her mother was hiding from her. She walked across the room but then there was a loud rumble of thunder and she jumped, knocking her ankle against the old ottoman at the foot of Sarah's bed. As she rubbed her leg Jennifer realized that in the many times she had been in her mother's room, she had seen her mother open up all the draws and cupboards but never the old ottoman.  
Letting her curiosity win over, Jennifer slowly reached forward and lifted the lid of the ottoman. Her jaw dropped when she saw all of the interesting things that were inside. A small pile of old soft toys, a bookend, a blue statute and a small book. One by one she picked up each of the things and looked at them carefully. They seemed to be mystical creatures that Jennifer had never seen or read about before.

The first one was a scarlet red, impish creature with fuzzy hair on its head, long skinny arms and legs and a long pointed nose and long ears. The second toy was a Fox-like creature wearing a red waistcoat, an eye patch and a small blue head scarf. The last toy was a Brownish-orange beast with fuzzy fur, curved Ram like horns on its head and two large fangs sticking upwards from its bottom lip. The single bookend had a small dwarf figure standing on it.  
The blue statute was of an unusual looking man with wild hair and wearing a long cloak. In his right hand he was waving a wand like stick in the air and in his left hand he was holding out a small crystal ball the size of a marble.

The small book had a fine red leather bound cover and in bold gold letters the title on the cover read "The Labyrinth". A smile spread across Jennifer's face just like she did whenever she found a new book to read in the school library. "An interesting title" She thought. She opened the book and began to read it.

 _ **"Once upon a time**_

 _ **There was a beautiful young girl whose stepmother always made her stay home with the baby. And the baby was a spoiled child and he wanted everything for himself. And the young girl was practically his slave.**_

 _ **But what no one knew, was that the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the girl. And he had given her certain powers. So one night, when the baby had been particularly cruel to her, she called on the goblins for help.**_

 _ **"Say your right words" the Goblins said. "And we'll take the baby to the Goblin City. And you will be free."  
But the girl knew that the king of the goblins would keep the baby in his castle forever and ever and ever, and turn it into a goblin.**_

 _ **And so the girl suffered in silence. Until one night when she was tired from a day of house work, and she was hurt by the harsh words of her stepmother and she could no longer stand it…"**_

Her reading was suddenly interrupted by an even louder burst of thunder and flash of lightning. She squealed, dropped the book and fell back clutching the bedpost. For a couple of seconds she took a few deep breaths as she waited to get over the shock and calm her pounding heart. "Jen!" Sarah's voice called from the kitchen "Dinner's ready" Quickly she closed the ottoman and left the room. But Jennifer had not realized, she had left the book lying on the floor beside Sarah's bed.

They both had their dinner together in the posh dining room and for a time they just ate in silence. Then Sarah asked "Did something happen up there sweetheart? I thought I heard something fall."  
Jennifer contemplated asking her mother about the stuff in the ottoman. Wanting so badly to know if it was related to the mystery she was hiding. But she decided not to ask, just yet because at this time of the day her mother was always exhausted after her nine hour work day. And when people were tired or even hungry, it wasn't the best time to have serious discussions. She decided that at some point tomorrow she would ask. It was Friday night and her mother didn't work weekends so she was guaranteed enough time to speak to her mother.  
All the same, to answer her mother's question Jennifer gave her an answer that wasn't the full story of what happened, but also was not a lie. "A thunder bang scared me and I fell over while I was putting your clothes away." Sarah blinked "Oh, I see. Did you hurt yourself?" Jennifer smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm alright. You know what it's like for me when there's thunder." Sarah nodded. "Don't worry dear. I'm sure when your older you'll get over it." Jen looked down at her food. "I hope so."  
When they'd finished eating, Jennifer helped her mother clear the table and put the things away.

Later they sat together on the sofa in the living room as they always did on Friday nights and watched a movie. Jennifer loved these moments of sitting next to her mother with her head rested against her shoulder and Sarah's arm wrapped round her holding her close. It made her feel loved and wanted. But she couldn't help wishing it wasn't just them.  
After the film ended they left the living room and Jennifer headed upstairs. Sarah went to lock the front door and switch off the hall lights. When she got to the top of the stairs she stopped and looked at a framed photo that hung of the wall. It was a photo of her, her mother and their old dog Merlin out in the garden. Sarah gently ran a finger down the picture frame. Merlin had died long ago and she missed him like you couldn't imagine. He had been someone else that truly loved her and never judged her. Still thinking of him she walked slowly into her room.

A little while later, Jennifer was in her favourite blue pyjamas and was giving her hair one last brush through. Pulling on her pale blue dressing gown she walked into the bathroom. She found Sarah already in there dressed in her night gown and they brushed their teeth together side by side.  
Just before they left Sarah rubbed her eyes then blinked them sleepily. "Tired Mom?" Sarah nodded "Yes, Jen. I'm getting tired of the job. I almost feel ready to quit." Jennifer blinked "But Mom I thought you'd finally settled down in that place ages ago." Sarah sighed. "I thought I did, Sweetie. But for the past few weeks I've realized that I don't really belong there. I mean, every time I have a great idea they just ignore it. And when there's social events, they always try not invite me." Jennifer understood completely. She wished that she would be invited out to social events as well. But she too was the last person anyone would think to invite out. "You do whatever makes you comfortable Mom." She said. Sarah smiled and put an arm round her daughter.

Together they came out the bathroom and stopped by Sarah's bedroom door. "Mom, why don't you try dating again?" Jen asked curiously. She didn't mind if her mother found someone else. Just as long as whoever he was would be nothing like her biological father had been. Sarah shook her head "There's really no point" she said sadly. "Why Mom? I mean there might be someone out there." Sarah rubbed her daughter's shoulder. "I used to say that all the time when I was you age Jen. But I'm afraid that in my world, fairytales have remained in the pages of the books I read. And the prince out there for me only lives within the pages one of them." She leaned forward and kissed Jennifer's forehead. "You sleep well Sweetheart" They hugged each other close then Sarah went into her room.

Inside her bedroom Jennifer closed the door and leaned back against it. What did her mother mean? Did she have a crush on a story book character? Well that wasn't uncommon to book lovers. And it was the same with films. You could easily fall in love with the characters even though they only existed in the pages or on the screen and our imaginations.  
But Jen believed that any man anywhere would be able to see the beauty of her mother if he only looked hard enough. Sarah only had to believe in herself as well. And she seemed to have lost all that when her husband had left them.  
She hoped that her mother could remain strong like she always had been. But the long working hours and the lack of friendship and socialization seemed to be taking its' toll. But Jennifer was not the sort of girl that gave up. She knew that somehow they would find something that would fix their lives and revive their happiness. The first step was to convince her mother to tell about the mysterious things in her ottoman and what had happened in her childhood that changed her, according to Toby's story.

She walked towards her bed then she stopped. Her eyes had suddenly fixed on a music box which stood on her dressing table. The music box had been a present to her on her thirteenth birthday from her mother and it had had been her favourite. It was of a beautiful young women with wavy dark hair and dressed in a silvery white ball gown standing under a small gold gazebo. And it played the most beautiful musical tune that Jennifer had ever heard. Sarah had told Jennifer that the music box had originally been a present to her from her stepfather Jeremy and she too had loved it.  
Jennifer now went to her dressing table, picked the music box up and wound it up. The beautiful twinkling melody filled her ears and she smiled a serene smile. Whenever she was feeling sad or having a hard time she always found that the music was a curing remedy.

She threw her robe over the chair of her dressing table, kicked off her slippers and climbed into bed. She lay down and watched the dancer going round and round. She imagined what she'd look like in a dress like that, dancing at a ball with a handsome partner and her mother doing the same in the embrace of the man of her dreams.  
Her gaze went up to the ceiling and started to feel sleep falling upon her. Before Jen could even wonder what her mother had meant about "Her prince being within the pages of a book" she dropped right off to sleep.  
For about three minutes all was quiet, except for the beautiful music which was still playing from the music box. Then before anyone knew it, Jennifer vanished completely from her bed without a trace.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Well here we go then! A new fanfiction sequel story on one of my Favourite Fairytale films "Labyrinth". I have been wanting to do a Labyrinth fanfic for a long time and finally I have had inspiration. I hope you all read it and enjoy the chapters that will follow and leave me your thoughts on it in your reviews.

I wonder what has happened to Jennifer and where she has disappeared to.


	2. Chapter 2 - Someone True

**Chapter Two – Someone True**

What was going on?  
One moment Jennifer was lying in her warm bed, the next she felt the bed vanish from beneath her. Her eyes flew open but she couldn't see anything at all, everything around her was black. Then she seemed to be flying forwards in the blackness. For a few seconds it felt almost exhilarating, but suddenly she was falling straight down. She began to scream but the fall was very quick and soon she landed on a hard stone floor. She cried out as she struck the ground painfully on her side. Clutching her arm she rolled onto her back, closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.

She opened her eyes and quickly she checked herself for any injuries but luckily there was nothing broken. But her right arm was aching from landing on it. There would probably be a bruise there soon.  
When she saw her surroundings she gasped out in surprise. "What is this place?" she said quietly. Slowly she sat up she found that she was lying in the centre on some sort of hedge maze. Next to her was a big sundial, straight ahead of her was a massive chair that looked like it was made up of big stone carved books. And scattered round the area were a few stone soldier statues and stone pots.

Jennifer looked around wondering which way to go. There were a lot of directions leading off into the hedge maze. She walked over to each of the entrances but she found no clues as to where they would lead. She sighed and stared up at the dark sky but to her surprise she saw no stars. There was a bright full moon that lit up everything around her, but there were no stars at all in the night sky.

Walking back over to the centre by the sundial, Jennifer started to wonder if she was dreaming. She closed her eyes and pinched her left arm. But opening her eyes again she found that she was still standing where she was.  
She did not know what to do so Jennifer went over to the stone chair and climbed up onto it. It was wide enough that she brought her legs up and hugged them close to her chest. Then she turned herself around o that her whole side was resting against the back of the chair. She stared to shiver in the cold night air both from cold and from the fear of what was going to happen next.

Jen didn't know how long she sat there. For her mind was filled with confusions as to how she'd transported miraculously to this mysterious place. She knew that this was definitely not a dream because she kept pinching herself but found she was still awake. She rested her cheek against the top of the cold stone and wondered if whether she should try and sleep but it seemed impossible, as the stone was not warm or comfortable enough. All the same she closed her eyes and quietly whispered "Please, I wish someone would help me." Tears stared dripping down her cheeks.

A few minutes later Jennifer was still on the stone chair and hadn't moved. Her tears had stopped and eyes were still shut but she hadn't gone to sleep. She was almost on the brink of crying again. She had never been so alone in all her life.

Suddenly there was a sound that made her sit up and open her eyes. By now it had become darker and she couldn't see a thing. Then the sound came again, this time it came from the right and seemed to be heading to the far side of the clearing. It was a rustling sort of sound like a cloak being dragged over leaves. She stood up from the chair and stared straight ahead into the darkness, but she couldn't see anything. "Is there…someone there?" she asked. She took a few brave steps forward, then right in front of her a flame came to life in a torch stand and made her jump. Now the whole place around her was lit up and she could see again.

"Sarah"  
Jennifer gasped again and whirled round towards whoever had spoken and her eyes widened in surprise.

The man who stood before her was unlike any man she had ever seen before. He tall and seemed to have a very lean figure. He was wearing a long black cloak, a black leather armour-like chest plate with a metal amulet that rested against it. He was also wearing a pair of black pants which showed off his lean legs. And a pair of black boots.  
His hair was the sort of wild style that rock and roll players sported and his face looked so handsome and angelic.  
Jennifer then realized who this man looked like. He resembled the blue statue that she had found earlier in the ottoman. For a few seconds she was speechless and couldn't find her voice.

He'd said "Sarah". But how on earth did he know her mother's name. "Sarah?" she echoed. His expression which had at first looked expectant now looked somewhat confused. "You're not Sarah, are you?" he asked, Jennifer shook her head. His confusion now turned to disappointment and he lowered his gaze to the ground. "Do you mean Sarah Williams?" Jennifer asked. "Yes. For a second there I thought she had come back" his voice filled with a hint of sorrow. Jen couldn't understand why all this seemed to upset him so.  
After a beat of silence he asked "Do you know Sarah?" Jen nodded "Yes…She's my mother." His head snapped up and now he looked completely dumbstruck. "Your…Mother?" The next words he spoke were more to himself. "She had a child with…" Once again he lowered his gaze.  
So he knew her mother but didn't know her. This whole thing was all so confusing. She wanted answers.

Taking a step towards him she said "But who are you? And what is this place?" she gestured to their surroundings. He looked at her again and his sad look faded away. "Forgive me, my dear girl. I am Jareth, The Goblin King. This this is "The Labyrinth" Jennifer's mouth fell open the moment he said "The Labyrinth". For she remembered that within the lines she'd read from the book it mentioned "The king of the goblins."  
Did this mean she had been transported into the book itself? No, that could not be. Something like that was impossible. She looked back at Jareth who was also taking a few steps closer to her. She held her ground somehow feeling braver that she had been before.

"What is your name?" he asked looking into her eyes. "Jennifer" she replied. Looking into his eyes which she now could see were strangely mismatched. One pale blue and the other greenish brown with a slightly dilated pupil. "Jennifer, what a lovely name." he said holding out a black gloved hand towards her. Hesitantly Jennifer took his hand to shake it but instead he brought her fingers to his lips.

Jennifer was so taken aback by this courtly gesture that she was silent for few moments. Jareth kept hold of her hand seemed to be looking deeply into her. Jennifer finally found her voice again. "Er…thanks. Look, when you said this was the Labyrinth. Do you mean the Labyrinth from the storybook?" She asked. "The Labyrinth does appear in a book my dear. But this place and everything and everyone in it, is as real as you and I." Jennifer could hardly believe what he had just said. Fantasy worlds did exist. This was something that she had always dreamed of.

She wanted to know more but there were more important questions she wanted answers to. "So, how do you know my mother?" He gave a small smile and finally released her hand. Slowly Jareth made his way to the centre of the clearing "Oh, that's a long story. I must say, I'm surprised that you don't know."

A cold breeze blew through the clearing and Jennifer wrapped her arms around herself. She was only wearing her pyjamas and socks and they weren't much protection against the cold. "Come" Jareth held out his hand "I'll take you back to my castle and I'll tell you everything. You'll catch your death if we stay out here at this hour for much longer" For some reason Jennifer felt unsure about going off with this strange man whom she had only just met. Despite his warm greeting there was something about him that almost seemed almost sinister.  
He seemed to sense her fear and still offered her his hand "It's alright Jennifer, there's nothing to be afraid of. I won't let anything harm you." His voice sounded so genuine that it was enough to convince her to believe him. Slowly she stepped forwards and took his hand. Smiling warmly at her he gently pulled her closer to him "You might want to hold on tight" he wrapped his arm round her as he said this. Hesitantly Jennifer wrapped her arms round him. God! He was so skinny. "That's right. Oh, and might be best that you close your eyes" Jennifer obeyed, and the second that she did the ground beneath her feet seemed to jolt violently and she would have fell, had Jareth not been holding her.

As suddenly as it started everything was still again. Jareth patted her back. "It's ok, you can look now." She opened her eyes and a wave of dizziness almost made her fall. Luckily Jareth was still holding her and he caught her before she could fall. "Don't worry, I've got you." Jennifer pressed her hand to her head. "It will pass in a minute sweetheart. Just take some deep breaths." Again she obeyed him and it did seem to help her.

When she felt steady again Jareth let her go and stepped back. To her surprise she found herself now in a stone chamber of what must have been a castle. The room was lit by flame torches attached to the walls, the windows were arched shaped and in the centre of the room against the wall was a stone throne which had stone steps leading up to it. Jennifer looked round in awe and Jareth stood his ground letting her take it all in.

She turned to face him "How did we get here?" she asked. "Magical transportation. Saves time don't you think?" Jennifer couldn't hold back a smile. "Magical? Really?" He nodded smiling "Yes that was real magic. You felt dizzy just now because your human body is not used to the effects."  
Jennifer couldn't think of what to say next. So Jareth came over and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you sit down my dear and I will tell you the story about me and your mother." Ok Jen thought. That sounded like a good plan.

He walked her over to the throne and she sat down. There were no cushions on the throne so it wasn't very comfortable but she decided not to complain. Also because it was completely made of stone it was quite cold when she sat down on it and she shuddered a bit from the chill. Jareth must have guessed how she was feeling because he removed his long black cloak and gently wrapped it round her "Thanks" she said taking hold of the edges and pulling it tighter round her. It was already warm which helped a lot.  
She now saw that he was wearing a black Poet shirt which was slightly open at the top, a metal amulet which hung from round his neck and was shining against his chest. And she now also saw that the black pants on his legs, in her opinion were a bit too tight. It was hard to keep her eyes off his crotch.

The goblin king walked over to the nearest stone arch window and rested his wrist against the edge. Jennifer shifted "How is it that you became king?" She asked suddenly. "I mean…you're human. How could a human become King of The Goblins?" Jareth shook his head still staring out of the window. "I'm not a human, Jennifer. I am Fae. An immortal." The name wasn't foreign to Jennifer. She had read stories about the Fae in quite a few fairytale books.

"For thousands of years I have ruled the Goblin Kingdom and the goblin people have lived their carefree lives and doing whatever they wanted. Except that thousands of years is a very long time if you think about it. You humans live your lives and some of you wish you can live forever. But it's harder than you think. So to keep myself entertained I used my magic and watched humans on earth. I even visited earth taking a whole different form so as to stay inconspicuous. I saw many people living different lives and it was by that that I discovered your mother. Sarah Williams."

Jennifer relaxed back against the throne listening intently.  
"I watched her for about three years and never looked at anyone else. Mainly because I felt sorry for her. At the time she was a poor lonely girl whose parents had separated. And she hated her life with her father and stepmother. Especially after they had a child of their own" This wasn't news to Jennifer "Uncle Toby" She said to herself "Yes" Said Jareth. "What annoyed her the most was that they mostly thought about their baby and themselves. Sarah felt she was being denied the chance of living her own life. And it hurt me so much to see her pain.

So one night when an angry storm was overhead I saw that she was on the brink of her breaking point and decided to help her. So I chose to make so she could be a part of the fairytale she loved most of all. The one she'd never stopped reading and acting out. "The Labyrinth". She wished for her baby brother to be taken, so I granted her wish. However, she instantly regretted her decision and begged me to return him. But I knew that if I did that it wouldn't be right. Because Sarah at the time didn't see or know the inner strength she had in her. So I presented her with a challenge to test her determination, intelligence, resourcefulness, and bravery. I told her she had thirteen hours in which to solve my Labyrinth, before her baby brother would become one of us forever."

Again, Jennifer thought of the book she had read earlier and how much this story matched the written words of the book. Almost as if it had been some kind of destiny for her mother.  
The Goblin King turned his eyes back to Jen.

"Sarah performed the challenge even better than I'd expected she would. And as she put it, she faced "dangers untold and hardships unnumbered." But what she did not know was that I had actually put an enchantment on the Labyrinth so that she would come to no harm. So every time she came within inches of danger something appeared or was already there to help her." Jareth stopped and turned his gaze to stare outside "If she had come to any harm…" he closed his eyes and shook his head "…I would never have forgiven myself"

Jen was starting to understand things. "Was there more than one reason why you did all this?" she asked. Jareth glanced at her once then back outside to look up at the moon. "Yes Jennifer. There was more than one reason why I did all this. From the moment I had first laid eyes on her while she was still so young I first felt sympathy and pity for her. But as she got older, I fell deeply in love with her."  
It was just as Jennifer had guessed. To have done so much for one girl, the only reason for it all had to be true love.

"I adored her passion for fantasy and fairytales. The way that a girl her age desired to be a part of my own kind of world. Unlike most of the other girls of your time who desire other things."  
He was right. Girls her age these days were more into things like make up, fashion, music, cinema and dating. It was hardly ever you came across girls who dreamed of fairytale worlds, mystical creatures and magic.

"You loved my mother? Did she know?" He shook his head and turned round to face her again. "I never told her. I assumed she knew, because she said so herself when she spoke the opening lines of the book before I took her brother. I kept up my act as the sinister king but I thought that when she reached the end of her quest she would come to realize my feelings to her.  
But for some reason she made no indication that she returned my feelings. So I decided to put her to another test. I slipped her an enchanted peach. One bite and she would forget all her worries and be in a world of her deepest dreams. That which created a magical ball within one of my crystal balls. I was there myself among the festivities. That was when I came to see that I was somehow a part of her dreams. I still had doubts about the matter, so after she laid eyes on me I vanished. I did that to see whether it would bother her and it did. She searched for me throughout ballroom. And that really touched me because if she didn't feel something for me she would have ignored me. So I reappeared before her once again and led her into a dance. It was truly the most enthralling moment of my life." He suddenly seemed so lost in the moment that he stopped talking and a look of complete ecstasy crossed his face.

Jennifer was so enchanted by his story. She hoped that one day she could meet a boy who would do the same to her. Make her feel like a princess and loved her so deeply. "So what happened?" She asked. His look of ecstasy faded away.

"She broke free of the dream trance. You see, the only way to break the spell is to remember the outside world. Because within the dream bubbles you only see your deepest dreams and strongest desires. Once you remember the outside world and all your troubles, you break the spell. That's what she did. I hoped that if she did remember she would realize all that I had done for her and remain with me in the dream world. But no, she broke free from my touch and shattered the bubble. But it was more like she had shattered my heart.

And when she shattered the bubble and left the dream world she had no memory of anything. Not even of me or her brother. I decided to leave her be, because with no memories she would not be hurrying to my castle. So I would wait until the clock would strike and find her. Once I did I would bring her to the castle, restore her memory and try to make an agreement with her. But somehow she did regain her memories and with her friends she entered into the city. I was worried because it was too soon and I didn't want it to end so quickly. So I sent out the entire goblin army…"

Jen sat up quickly in the throne shocked. "Don't panic Jennifer dear. I gave them strict orders just to hold her back and not to harm her in any way." Jennifer relaxed again. But by now her eyelids were beginning to feel heavy.  
"The army did help kill me some time. Eventually Sarah made it to my castle and came to face me. I tried first to make her see all that I had done, but her brother was in the room too and she was more interested in getting to him than listening to me.

In the end I took him out of the picture and made it so she had to look me in the eye and listen. Though by then I was quite exhausted from all that she had put me through. So I revealed all I had generously done for her by her own request. Take her brother, put her in her own fairytale, made myself the frightening villain in her tale, reorder time and turn the world upside down. Unfortunately she was blind and deaf to all of my feelings and words. And spoke the final words of the book which meant I had to fulfil the final ending the way the book said and return her and her brother home."

By now Jennifer was nearly falling asleep but she was trying to fight it because she wanted to hear more. "What did you do then?" she managed to keep the sleepiness out of her voice.  
"I looked in on her from time to time, because I could never get her out of my mind. And it turned out that the adventure had made her see the inner strength she'd had in her. She studied hard in school and continued to perform. But what hurt me more than anything was to watch was when she tried to win the affections of other boys. None of them could have provided her with the love and happiness I could have given her. She then met your father. I watched their courtship despite that every moment was painful for me to witness. When she accepted his hand in marriage I felt as if a dagger had been ran through my heart. I stopped watching her after they got married because I couldn't stand the pain any longer."

He closed his eyes and rubbed them to fight back the moisture that was fighting to escape. "Despite all that and the fact that it has been many years. Somehow in all that time, I have never stopped loving Sarah Williams." After a short pause he said. "Tell me dear, did she never give any implications that she once been in love with anyone else other than your father?"

When Jennifer didn't answer him he turned round and saw that she had fallen asleep on his throne. One glance at the clock and he realized how late it was. By this time she would have been fast asleep. He walked over to her and decided it was best to take her to where she would have a more comfortable night sleep. His throne was definitely not the best place. He reached forwards and picked her up, cradling her up into his arms. She didn't wake as he lifted her up, just slept on with her head rested against his shoulder and breathing quietly.

In the next second he'd vanished them from the throne room and reappeared in his bed chamber. The chamber itself was huge. The walls and the floor were all stone and the ground had a couple of rugs draped over them. There were a few tall windows which were dark at present.  
The goblin king carried the sleeping girl over to his bed which was so long and so wide that five men could have slept side by side at the head. He walked over to the right side and with a gentle flick of his finger the bed covers were pulled back by magic. He gently laid Jennifer down onto the soft mattress, took his cloak from round her and tucked her in. She stirred slightly but slept on.

For a long while he just stood there and stared down at her. He still found it hard to believe that this girl was Sarah's daughter. She was just like her mother in so many ways. Not just in looks, she had the same good spirit, curiosity, bravery and innocence.

The king finally decided that he would go to sleep himself. He told himself that when dawn came he would dig into the mystery of how Jennifer had ended up here in the underground. He changed out of his dark clothes and into a more comfortable pair of pants and a loose white shirt. He went back over to Jennifer who was still sleeping peacefully. The king could not resist and reached forward to give her hair a loving stroke.

Then he walked round to the other side of the bed and climbed in. He waved his hand and all the lighted torches went out. The only light came from the moon which shone bright through the windows. For a long while he lay with his eyes open and finally he turned on his side and watched Jennifer as she slept. She looked so much younger now so venerable and helpless. He felt a strong desire to protect her and keep her safe. Almost just like when he had first started watching Sarah. But nothing would happen to her while she was with him. He was more powerful than anything within the Labyrinth. He kept watching her until he finally fell asleep himself.

A few hours later Jennifer opened her eyes and realized that she was lying in a warm bed. Oh no! Had it all been a dream after all. Her heart started to sink but her eyes finally adjusted to the dark and she saw that she was not in her room. In the moonlight she could see that she was in a large chamber that could only be in a castle. She instantly relaxed.

The bed she was in was so much larger than her own. She glanced round and she realized that she was not alone. On the other side of the large bed lay The Goblin King. She sat up slightly blinking her still sleepy eyes. He was lying flat on his back with his wild hair all over his pillow. He looked so peaceful especially in the white shirt he had changed into. Unlike the dark clothed he had been wearing earlier. In the moonlight she could see his smooth skin was almost glowing.  
She didn't feel uncomfortable being in the same bed with him. She had a very safe and secure feeling. Similar to the one a child would feel if they were sleeping beside a parent in their bed. Jennifer had done this a couple of times with her mother after her Dad had run out on them. Half because she wanted to comfort her mother and because she wanted to close to her and not alone.

She contemplated why Jareth gave her this same safe feeling now. It was probably because of the connection he felt to her mother. And just the fact that he had done so much and wanted to provide for her. She could tell that he must have wanted to do the same for her. Even though they had only just met each other, Jennifer felt very protected around him. And there was this other feeling that was so strange. She felt as if she belonged here and that something was binding her to this strange place and somehow she didn't want to leave. So odd that she felt something like this.

She yawned quietly and before she could change her mind she slowly shuffled closer to Jareth until she was rested up against his right arm and her forehead against his shoulder. Smiling contentedly to herself she settled back down to sleep again.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Hi guys! Thanks so much for your support by following this story and giving good reviews. That makes me feel so good about my work and that it all worth it. I've been quite busy lately because me and my family are in the midst of moving house.  
But just as I said in my other stories I never forget about any of my works. I always plan in my mind how the stories turn out and the longer it takes, the better the stories could turn out.

Anyway, Please keep leaving me your reviews of support. And enjoy reading.

 **Review Responses**

 **alexc1209 -** Yes you were correct, she did end up in the Underground. Lovely to know you find this all exciting.  
 **  
CuriousEttie -** There you go, here some more for you. Hope you like it.

 **Child of Dreams** \- (Sighs Happily)

 **foxchick1 -** Hope this was soon enough for you.


End file.
